Hanwha Aerospace(012450) will export self-propelled howitzers to the United States for the first time among Korea's weapons systems. Korea, which has received U.S. military aid since the 1950-53 Korean War, has become a country that exports complete weapons systems to the United States after more than 70 years.
Hanwha Aerospace said on the 19th that it signed a contract with the U.S. Army to supply six prototype K9 wheeled self-propelled howitzers (K9MH). The deal includes an option to procure 12 more guns, bringing the total contract value to $233 million (about 328.4 billion won). The U.S. Army plans to use the K9MH in operations that evaluate performance, reliability and maintainability in actual combat environments before making a final procurement decision.
A self-propelled howitzer is an artillery piece that can move on its own. The model Hanwha Aerospace proposed this time is a "wheeled self-propelled howitzer" that mounts the turret of the K9A2, an upgraded version of the existing K9 self-propelled howitzer, on a vehicle instead of tracks. Rapid equipment movement and a long operating range are cited as advantages. It applies turret automation technology that enables automatic loading and firing and was developed to allow remote fire control.
Regarding the K9MH, the U.S. Army said it "will significantly enhance combat power, mobility, reliability and survivability on today's highly open battlefield," adding, "Through rapid prototype development, we will build a more mobile and adaptable firepower unit that meets the rigorous requirements of large-scale combat."
This prototype supply contract is the fruition of efforts nine years after Hanwha Group first took part in North America's largest land defense exhibition (AUSA) in 2017. At the time, Hanwha transported an actual K9 self-propelled howitzer to Washington, D.C., for display. Since then, it has established a U.S. subsidiary and built a local network by successively recruiting a former commander of U.S. Forces Korea, former U.S. administration officials and personnel from global defense companies.
Based on this contract, Hanwha will supply weapons systems to the U.S. Army and Navy. Hanwha acquired the Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia at the end of 2024 and recently won a U.S. Navy missile range instrumentation ship project. It is continuing its push in the United States to take part in the U.S. government's plan to expand naval shipbuilding.
Behind these results are the management principles and global network spanning two generations of Chairman Kim Seung-youn and Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-Kwan. In the early 2000s, during development of the Chunmu multiple launch rocket system, Chairman Kim pressed ahead with independent development despite opposition from management, saying, "It is fine to fail. The technology for self-reliant defense will remain." Starting in Nov. 2024, he also concurrently served as chairman of Hanwha Aerospace and was said to have emphasized cooperation with the United States.
Senior Vice Chairman Kim Dong-Kwan has stressed the necessity of defense self-reliance since the acquisition of Samsung Techwin (now Hanwha Aerospace) in 2014. When defense demand in Europe surged due to the 2021-22 Russia-Ukraine war, he formed a task force (TF) and dispatched employees across Europe, including Finland, Poland and Romania, securing export contracts for the K9 and Chunmu to Poland in two years.
The plan is to further expand in the U.S. market on the back of Hanwha Aerospace's export of self-propelled howitzers to the United States and its orders for naval ship projects.